Romans 7:1-6

What is the source of your fruit?

Romans 7:1–6 ESV

1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Intro:

Statement of proposition

Illustration:

Getting your fruit from a fresh farm v. a farm next to a nuclear waste plant

What is the result of that fruit?

Both are fruit, but are they going to affect us differently.

We see Paul showing different areas of change in the life of someone who is a professing believer to someone that is a true believer of Christ.

Romans 1: People that are given up to their sins, hearts hardened

Romans 3: Keeping the law cannot bring salvation to someone

Romans 4: Faith has always been the catalyst to salvation

Romans 5: Distinction between the first and last Adam

Romans 6: Dead to sin and alive to God

The Text Summary: AP told the Romans very specifically that there has to be a distinction between the fruit of the flesh and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Other texts that support

Romans 3:20–21 ESV

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

Romans 5:20 ESV

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Romans 6:14–15 ESV

14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Why does this matter?

The Main Idea: We cannot forget that the fruit of the law/flesh is death, but the ultimate fruit of being alive in Christ is to bring glory to God.

Probing Question: What is the source of your fruit?

Transitional Sentence: “But now” is going to be the THE transition that Paul is telling us is absolutely mandatory to truly glorify God.

What did we talk about in Romans 5 and Romans 6 that has led Paul up to this passage?

(Looking for someone to summarize)

What are some words that pop off the page to you?

Flesh, husband and wife illustration, fruit, “But now”

Main Point #1:The Source of a nonbeliever

Statement

Romans 7:1–3 ESV

1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Prove

Here we have Paul stating he is speaking to people that “know the law”

This does not mean that they are saved or genuine believers, but have an intellectual knowledge of the law.

Just like today there are people that have an intellectual knowledge of God, Christ, Christ’s work on the cross and yet they still do not call him their Lord and Savior.

In this verse what is the source in which someone is alive?

The law, The flesh

What someone is getting something from a foul, dirty source what is the nutrition that they will reap from it? Foul and disgusting.

We get out what we put in

If we live by the flesh then we shall die by the flesh.

When Paul uses the term flesh or law he is using it for those who are fundamentally opposed to God and those who are under dominion of the powers of the law.

Flowers in texts

Romans 1:22–25 ESV

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

A person who has died is free from the prescriptions enjoined in the Law.

The Greek word that is used here is “vomos” meaning law so we need to interpret this correctly that Paul is talking about the Mosaic Law here.

This right here is the fruit of a nonbeliever.

There is nothing eternal about what is described in these four verses.

Words that jump out in these verses: dishonor, impure, creeping things, lust and “giving them up”

This is the fruit of a non-believer.

Why is this? Why is their source of life, freedom and happiness end up with dishonor, impurity and God giving them up?

Because people are living a life that is only glorifying themselves.

They do morally good things, they go to church, they donate money, etc, etc. etc because their only source of eternal nutrition comes from the flesh

Parable of the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14, We see the difference the sources of their fruit.

The Tax Collector comes to the temple humble because as he stands before God he knows that there is absolutely nothing that he can without Christ.

The Pharisee who has comes to the temple, his prayer is different, his heart posture is different. His status in his mind sets him apart from everybody else that is there. In his mind he is keeping the law and checking off all the boxes, but what is missing? His true adoration and love for God. Once again the source of his salvation is in the flesh and it will fail him.

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Illustrations

Movie “Air” about Michael Jordan signing with Nike and at the end of the movie on the screen they mention Phil Knight the CEO of Nike stating that he has donated over $2 Billion dollars to charity.

I am sure that he had good intentions, but what is the heart posture behind it? Tax break, gets name mentioned in the papers, news about all that he has done.

Apply or Confront

We cannot just think because someone is morally good, worldly good that they are saved. We have to have the mindset of what is the fruit of that person’s life?

How many people has that person brought to Christ?

Main Point #2: The difference between a branch and a vine

Statement

Romans 7:4–5 ESV

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

Prove

When we experience the death that Paul is talking about we are not just “free agents”

We are already signed to Team Jesus.

Remember before this we were cheerleaders for God’s enemy. We were enemies of God and now we are Team Jesus.

The promises given to Israel were not realized during the era of the Mosaic Law; Just for us today the promises we are given are not realized by keeping the law.

They have become a reality because of the new life that we have in Jesus Christ.

John 15:1–4 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

The question that I want to ask is what is the difference between a vine and a branch?

What is the purpose of a vine?

What is the purpose of a branch?

If we see a branch that has been broken off of a tree and is laying on the ground can we expect that branch to bear any fruit? What can it be used for?

If we see a branch that is still whole, getting its nutrition from the vine what can we expect to get?

So a true believer and follower of Christ has died to the law’s control and power.

The sole point here is not that we died to the law in the sense that we are no longer under the law inasmuch as the law condemns us.

Death here signifies the condemnation that obtains as a result of sin.

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But verse 5 also says that “the passions of sin were aroused through the law and our members.

Galatians 5:24 ESV

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The Jews would argue that the law helped to prevent to prevent people from sinning. Paul is saying that the law aids sin, that sin is provoked by means of the law.

If we look at the history of the Jewish people we can definitely come to that conclusion.

Because for under the law Israel ended up in exile because of its sins.

Illustrations

The source: Papa Johns V. Authentic Margherita Pizza from Naples

Apply or Confront

Main Point #3: The Source of a believer

Statement

Romans 7:6 ESV

6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Prove

This is the switch that Paul is emphasizing because if you DO NOT fully grasp the “but now”, the difference between what the unbeliever is getting compared to the believer then you missed the foundation of Jesus Christ sacrificing his life for you on the cross.

This is the foundational change that we see and as believer’s must in our bones be thankful for because without our source of eternal life in Jesus nothing would separate us from the unbeliever.

When Paul says that believers have died to it’s tyranny , and no longer serve in the oldness of the letter, he has in mind the role of the law in the lives of unbelievers.

He refers to the effect that the law has for those “in the flesh”.

It is the law without the Spirit that will inevitably produce sin.

The source that we talked about for the unbeliever is the flesh, the law, the world

The source that we are talking about here is powered by the Holy Spirit and only found in the works, obedience and love of Jesus Christ.

Self-Denial is a huge sum of Paul’s doctrine. It’s difficult and the qualities that are in us make it difficult. We used to live for ourselves, the world our flesh, but because of this new source of life. I am talking about the vibrance of living a life for Jesus Christ EVERYTHING is now different:

Humility is embraced

Ambition is suppressed

Modesty is cultivated

Perseverance is possible

Diligent to know and trust in the Lord

John 15:5 ESV

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:7–9 ESV

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

We are now able to love God

We are now able to glorify God

Do you think that an Unbeliever can glorify God? Why or Why not?

The “BUT NOW” is the switch that is needed.

The “But Now” is the change of our life source. It starts with the source in which we live by.

Jesus is the only way.

There is nothing that we can do to earn salvation.

Jesus is the only door. He is our only source of eternal life

Apply or Confront

Application:

Remember that being freed from the curse and condemnation of the law is not an encouragement to live lawlessly, but rather to bear spiritual fruit unto God.

It is not the union of the law or our self-righteousness that will ever make us truly holy. It is only as we look to Christ for help in holiness, that we see growth in our lives.

Renounce all self-righteousness as a means to be made right with God. We have to have Jesus and the Holy Spirit as our life source for salvation.

Questions:

How does the analogy of marriage in verses 1-6 apply to being released from the law?

How does Paul view the law's role in relationship to sin?

Why do we have to be released from the condemnation of the law in order to bear fruit for God?

What did you learn tonight in Romans that will help you further glorify God and enjoy him forever?